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‘THREE!’ chronicles the Warriors run to the 2018 NBA Championship.Order the book today!SAN FRANCISCO – Usually, nothing bothers Klay Thompson.He remains content with winning and his role. He has reiterated his hopes to remain with the Warriors for the rest of his NBA career. He has enjoyed a busy albeit relaxing offseason with promotional clinics in China, a basketball camp in the Bahamas, a visit to Charlotte, N.C to see younger brother, Trayce, play for the Chicago White Sox. He also has …

A Web Developer’s New Best Friend is the AI Wai… 8 Best WordPress Hosting Solutions on the Market Update: The previous version can still be accessed at news.google.ca (Thanks Bob!). Earlier in this week we covered the new version of Google News. It’s normal to see a backlash against a redesign (see the reaction to Facebook redesigns for instance), but reaction to Google News’ new layout has been resoundingly harsh. So far, Google isn’t offering an option to revert back to the old version, unlike it did with its last major Gmail update. It seems Google’s attempt to balance personalization and serendipity left fans of both unhappy.The biggest complaint lies in the new layout itself, which users say is harder to scan. Previously, Google News had a three column top section with a two-column grid of stories below. Users could customize the arrangement of sections and a few sections were viewable at once, depending on the size of the monitor. The new layout has a wide center column with a “river of news” presentation of the primary Google News sections and unchangeable side columns containing newer features like trending topics, FastFlip, local news and Spotlight. Depending on the monitor used, only one section may be viewable at a time in the center column. New Google News layoutAmong users who value customization, the ability to rank news certain sources up or down (except, apparently, Associated Press) or arrange topics vertically in the center column does not make up for the rigidity of the other sections. One large annoyance that some users reported, including our researcher Deane Rimerman, is the disappearance of custom sections created in the old version of the site, leaving users to re-create each section. We were also unable to find an option to have news alerts sent by e-mail, though we could still create RSS feeds of searches. Users can still setup and mange news alerts through Google Alerts.Previous version of Google NewsOne Google News user, who commented on our original post, told us via e-mail: “I had Google’s news in one column, prioritized the way I liked it, and sections in the other, prioritized the same way. If I was looking for something professionally related, I could scan the one column; if I was taking a break and wanted to see the rest of the news, I could scan the other.” With all news in one column, this isn’t an option anymore.Those who value serendipity say they benefited more from the old layout with several blocks of stories on different subjects on the screen at once than from the new layout. Spotlight should be the serendipity engine of the site, but the long, image-less list of headlines is below the fold on most monitors. It’s more like a cluttered stack of newspaper clippings stashed off to the side of your desk than a showcase of stories you might otherwise miss.The reaction to the new layout may signal a preference for dashboards over river of news views. Last year RWW’s Marshall Kirkpatrick eulogized enterprise RSS. A couple people mentioned, with prescience, dashboards as the possible vector for future RSS adoption. In November of last year, Netvibes landed a deal to bring its dashboards into Sage‘s ERP software. It’s reasonable to expect consumers to have similar preferences – after all, Netvibes started as a consumer oriented service.So did Google blow it? Amber Case, a UX designer for Vertigo, says “Interfaces should not suddenly change. That’s the equivalent of suddenly remodeling a favorite neighbor bar without telling anyone, except that the architecture was so different that the bathrooms are in a different place.”Case thinks users will get used to the new layout, but for now it’s an agitation. “Now people have to navigate around glaciers of functionality that can’t be moved. It’s better to have an empty ocean that people can create their own islands of usefulness, and their own bridges between them,” she says.Many users say they’re looking elsewhere for a news portal. Good Noows is cited often as an alternative to Google News, and Ask News has a layout very similar to the previous version of Google News.Google News Fail macro generated with roflbot, new Google News screenshot via Google News, old Google News screenshot via Spy Related Posts Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting klint finley Why Tech Companies Need Simpler Terms of Servic… Tags:#Analysis#Google#Real-Time Web#web read more

That said, if Farm House decides that it’s a good idea to increase the R-value of the wall assembly or reduce thermal bridging between the studs, he could take the advice of Steve Knapp and use Zip System insulated R-sheathing, which combines structural sheathing with foam insulation.R-sheathing can take the place of conventional OSB or plywood sheathing. It comes in various thicknesses, with R-values ranging from 3 to 12.“But I see no reason to try to convince you.” RELATED ARTICLES Consider fossil fuel useBrendan Albano asks Farm House to consider the benefits of reducing the use of fossil fuels: a better insulated building will need less heat, and less heat means a lower carbon impact.“Reducing your use of fossil fuels (and other non-renewable resources) is an ethical choice from an intergenerational equity (a.k.a., ‘think of the children’) point of view,” Albana writes. “If exterior insulation is an effective way for you to do this, then it would be ethically responsible for you to add exterior insulation.“Whether or not that line of reasoning is important enough to you to justify the expense is a question only you can answer.”But the introduction of fossil fuels into the discussion raises additional questions, replies Dorsett.“The ‘future generations/fossil fuel’ discussion can go a number of different ways,” he says. “Higher wall performance can be had with lower initial and long-term carbon emissions by staying away from foam altogether (which has a very real carbon footprint) and using cellulose as the cavity fill (which is net-carbon-negative and sequesters carbon), or rock wool (low carbon footprint relative to any foam) and/or using only electric HVAC equipment combined with renewables-only electricity (site sourced or purchased).” Another approach with Zip-R sheathingDorsett has one more idea for reducing thermal bridging without the use of a continuous layer of foam. Farm House could start with conventional framing using 2x4s. Then, rip sheets of 2-inch Zip R to widths of 1 1/2 inch and 3 inches, and glue them to the inside of the framing to create a total stud wall depth of 5 1/2 inches. (The 3-inch strips are for doubled-top plates and other areas where studs are doubled.) Use conventional insulation designed for a 2×6 wall.“That brings the framing fraction up from about R-4.2 to about R-14, cutting the heat transfer through the 2×4 framing by more than 2/3, and the whole-wall performance improves by about 15% compared to a 2×6/R-20 wall at the same wall thickness,” Dorsett says.The idea is derived from an article by Stephen Bonfiglioli in Fine Homebuilding magazine.Following up on Dorsett’s suggestion, Gordon Franke writes that he ran some calculations on heat flow comparing the Bonfiglioli wall to several other options (see image #2, below).“If my calculations are correct, the Bonfiglioli [wall] insulates better than a 2×4 wall with 1 1/4 inch of exterior insulation,” he says. “One might say, ‘Well, 1 1/4 inch is too thin.’ However, a 2-inch layer only buys you a 3% improvement compared [to] the Bonfiglioli wall.“In my own renovation, I can implement the Bonfiglioli wall myself over a couple of weekends for the cost of some EPS strips, 1x3s, and the upgrade from 2×4 to 2×6 batts. That seems like nothing compared to the additional complication and expense of including an inches deep layer of insulation on all exterior walls.” Calculating the Minimum Thickness of Rigid Foam Sheathing From Fine Homebuilding: Breaking the Thermal Bridge Can Exterior Foam Insulation Cause Mold and Moisture Problems? Installing Mineral Wool Insulation Over Exterior Wall SheathingThe Exterior Rigid Foam is Too Thin!Combining Exterior Rigid Foam With Fluffy InsulationHow to Install Rigid Foam SheathingChoosing Rigid FoamWalls With Interior Rigid Foam A question of diminishing returnsFarm House has given some thought to the environmental impact of his new home and the need to reduce fossil fuel emissions.“That’s a given for me,” he says, “but I don’t have an unlimited budget and I am certain that at some point during an envelope design, one starts spending money for very incremental improvements in performance.”So, while recognizing that exterior foam insulation increases the whole-house R-value, the question is whether it makes “good sense.” Farm House wants to know whether a radiant barrier he’s apparently planning on including will offer the advantages he’s hoping for.Further, he asks, “Is increasing the stud-to-siding R-value from 6.5 to 13 going to have a significant impact? For example: What percentage of heat loss or gain is expected through the 25% of the exterior walls that’s made up of 2×6 studs? (If it impacts the answer, my goal is to achieve between 1 and 2 ach50.)“We all know that an internal combustion engine is an glorified air pump,” Farm House continues. “The faster you can get the air to go from intake to exhaust, the better the performance. At some point, though, you’re spending silly money to increase performance that can only be justified if you race NASCAR every weekend. Catch my drift?” Questions about plans for a heat pumpFarm House says that he’s planning on “spending some serious $$$” for a Trane XV20i variable-speed heat pump. Good idea? Maybe not, says Dorsett.The smallest model of that air-source heat pump has a capacity of 2 tons, he says, and although it’s able to modulate its output, it has a turndown ratio of about 2.5 to 1, Dorsett says, “which could be sub-optimally oversized” for a higher performance house of about 2,500 square feet in Climate Zone 3.“In a new house design, it’s not super hard to hit the 2,500-square-feet-per-ton of cooling range, and even a code-minimum house can hit the ton per 2,000 [square foot] range, even with full sun exposure,” Dorsett says. “The minimum modulated output of the 2-ton Trane XV20i is about 10,000 BTU/h at 95°F outside and even higher at lower outdoor temps. That means it can’t really modulate at high efficiency if your load at your 1% design condition is only 12,000-15,000 BTU/h.”He adds that the “framing fraction” of 25% in exterior walls would account for roughly half the total heat transfer in walls.“But the walls are only a fraction of the total heat gain and heat loss, and with 2×6/R-20 construction staying at code-minimum, … the total window area can account for as much heat transfer as the total wall area (or more),” Dorsett says. “These sorts of issues are why modeling the house with BEopt can be useful, since you can then determine the bang-for-your-buck of different component upgrades.” Our expert’s opinionHere’s what GBA technical director Peter Yost thinks:There’s lots of good analysis and advice built into this Spotlight. I agree with Dana Dorsett that BEopt modeling can provide good guidance and useful sensitivity analysis around the key elements that Farm House is considering.For my money — and based in no small part on the work that Building Science Corporation has done for high-performance design in Climate Zone 3 — here are the three most important design considerations for homes aiming for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort:Airtightness. Even without much information on the actual design, in my experience the continuity of the building enclosure air control layer is easiest to do on the exterior. You certainly can get this in many ways, but the Zip wall system is a good option. Another advantage of this approach is that a continuous exterior air barrier protects from wind-washing at corners.Better windows and solar shading. BEopt would certainly show this, but windows tuned by location and aspect and properly shaded give a big performance boost in Climate Zone 3. In a recent analysis I did using Climate Consultant 6, exterior shading of windows and doors alone pulled around 25% of annual hours into the ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort parameters.HVAC. All ducts and equipment should be inside the conditioned space, and the systems should be designed using ACCA Manuals J, S, and D. This was not mentioned in the Q&A exchanges, and it’s critical to high performance (energy efficiency, IAQ, and thermal comfort). Achieving a high-performance HVAC system is easy if it is identified as a driver of design and if you have an HVAC contractor who can deliver the design. Not our job to sell anything“First of all,” says GBA senior editor Martin Holladay, “it’s your house. You can build it any way you want, as long as your local code enforcement official is happy. I don’t see any reason to convince you of anything.” Skip the exterior foam and invest in PVDana Dorsett won’t try to convince Farm House, either. He suggests using BEopt, free energy-modeling software available from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Then, given the good solar exposure that’s apparently available on the house site, Farm House could compare the return on investment for spending the same amount of money he’d need for insulated sheathing for a rooftop solar array, calculated at $3 a watt before any subsidies.“In U.S. Climate Zone 3, it’s possible (with a decent design) to hit net-zero energy with 2×6 (R-20) walls, no exterior insulating sheathing, and with a PV array that fits comfortably on a sun-drenched house, using better-class heat pump technology properly sized for the modest loads,” Dorsett says.He refers Farm House to a Building America research paper for more information. That study suggests that an R-20 wall in Climate Zone 3 — but times have changed.“That document was created in 2009/2010, when PV cost $7-8/watt and was 15% efficient, whereas now it’s $3/watt and ~20% efficient, requiring less rooftop real-estate to deliver the same amount of energy,” Dorsett says. “And, better-class heat pumps at that time were running HSPF 10-12 with SEER in the teens, whereas current better-class ductless minisplits are in the HSPF 12.5-14 range, with SEER well north of 20.”With those two advances in technology, Farm House could aim for the R-value recommendations that Building America suggests for a milder climate zone (Zone 2) and still hit net-zero performance. A 2×6 R-20 wall framed at 16 inches on center with a rainscreen gap between the sheathing and the siding would work; so would a 2×6 R-23 wall insulated with rockwool batts (but with no rainscreen).“So, skip the exterior insulation and concentrate the investment where it pays more,” Dorsett says.Farm House might still consider the more rigorous Climate Zone 3 recommendations for other building assemblies, while aiming for a building envelope testing at less than 1 air change per hour at 50 pascals in a blower-door test, plus a heat-recovery ventilator. A simple house shape minimizing corners would also help. Writing from Climate Zone 3, Farm House seems to have worked out many of the details for the dream house he plans to start building in a few months.“Plan to live in it for 30+ years,” he writes in a post at the Q&A forum at Green Building Advisor. “The house will have Zip System sheathing and will be well insulated on the inside. I will just leave it at that. Not interested in installing rigid foam on the outside of the roof sheathing. (I have my reasons, so please don’t try to convince me otherwise.)“So, house fully exposed to sunlight. One inch rigid foam with foil facing. Strapped with fiber-cement siding.”That’s the plan: no rigid foam on the roof, but 1 inch of rigid foam on the exterior walls, plus a vented rainscreen and siding.The Farm House challenge? “Sell me on all the reasons this [rigid foam on the walls] is worth the time and cost.”read more

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wrote to Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik on Saturday, urging him to retract his government’s decision to demolish the Mangu Mutt in Puri, which is associated with Sikhism founder Guru Nanak.Mr. Singh described as unfortunate the move to demolish the mutt, which has age-old significance for the Sikh community as Guru Nanak Dev visited the holy site to spread his message.‘Shocking decision’“It was shocking that while the whole world was getting ready to commemorate the 550th ‘Prakash Purb’ of the first Sikh Guru, the historically important mutt, a symbol of the connection between Sikhism and the Jagannath Temple, was sought to be demolished by the Odisha government,” said Mr. Singh in a statement.The Mutt is among many structures within 75-metre radius of the Jagannath Temple that are being demolished to ensure safety and security of the 12th century shrine, following a decision of the Odisha government led by Mr. Patnaik.Opposing the move, several organisations earlier said at least 12 major mutts and shrines associated with the Jagannath Temple are located within the 75-metre demolition radius.read more

Duterte wants probe of SEA Games mess Cayetano: Senate, Drilon to be blamed for SEA Games mess Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting Panelo: Duterte ‘angry’ with SEA Games hosting hassles PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss Fellow players have noticed how much work he’s put in and how much it has paid off this season. The acknowledgment from All-Stars such as Paul George and Bradley Beal shows that Siakam’s giant leap has caught the attention of more than just the media panel that votes for the NBA awards.“I just enjoy sometimes after the games, guys coming up to me and showing respect for me. That’s the most important thing,” Siakam said. “Like, I don’t care about the rest. I think when your peers respect your game and respect the fact that they’ve seen you work, I think that’s more important.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesSPORTSSingapore latest to raise issue on SEA Games food, logisticsThere’s a lot for them to have noticed, including:— Siakam’s scoring. It is up from 6.0 points per game through his first two seasons to 17.0 this season. Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, center, dribbles the ball down court during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)Pascal Siakam confidently launches shots he may not have dared attempt in previous seasons. He makes plays during times of the game when he would have been sitting on the bench.The Toronto Raptors forward might be the leading candidate for the most improved player award and he’d like to win it. But he’s already received recognition that means more to him.ADVERTISEMENT Philippine Arena Interchange inaugurated Hontiveros presses for security audit of national power grid MOST READ DA eyes importing ‘galunggong’ anew LATEST STORIES Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. But of them, Siakam has the biggest role on the team with the best chance to be playing into June.The Raptors made major changes after they were swept out of the postseason by LeBron James and Cleveland in consecutive years. Dwane Casey was fired even after winning coach of the year honors, and All-Star DeMar DeRozan was dealt to San Antonio in the trade to bring in Kawhi Leonard.The Raptors have come back with 57 wins and the second-best record in the East, with Siakam’s growth central to their success. He can play in a traditional big lineup alongside Leonard and center Marc Gasol, or in a smaller one if they go with Serge Ibaka in the middle.The athleticism was always there for the 6-foot-9 forward. But now it’s only part of the package for a player who made one 3-pointer his entire rookie season in 2016-17 and now averages one per game, the easiest place to notice his improvement.“I don’t know who else is even really up for it, who the voting’s between, all that stuff. I know that if anybody’s done more than this kid, has improved more, has impacted the team more and continued to improve from even geez, 20 games ago,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “He just keeps taking another step forward, there has been no steps back.“He’s certainly deserving. If there’s somebody else who is deserving, then sometimes that’s the way it works. But he’s had an unbelievable season.”Soon it will be time for the Raptors to show how much they’ve improved along with him. They became postseason punching bags the last couple years who want to show they won’t be pushed around any longer.“We have a new group so it’s going to be definitely tough and I think we’re more focused on that,” Siakam said. “Obviously we think about the playoffs, we’re excited about it, can’t wait for it. We just want to make sure we get the right chemistry and everything going so when that time comes, we’ll be ready to perform.”He got into only two playoff games two years ago, when the native of Cameroon was still learning the game. It was only five years earlier when he had come through the Basketball Without Borders camp in Africa, then headed to Texas for prep school and onto New Mexico State before becoming a late first-round pick.He’s not sure if friends back home are aware of his success. But if he wins the Most Improved Player award, chances are they’ll hear about it. “I’m definitely not a personal-type guy where I care about personal accolades and stuff, but definitely a team-guy first,” Siakam said. “Something like that, in terms of who I am and the person that I’ve become, and people that know my story and how I came up, that would mean a lot just because that’s me. Like, that’s literally who I am as a player and as a person.”Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte — His 3-point shooting. That’s jumped from 21.6 percent to 36.8 percent.A player who was feared almost entirely for his work around the basket now has to be accounted for even when he’s away from it. Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson called Siakam an X-factor who now demands a much bigger part of the scouting report.“It changes because he’s shooting the ball better,” Atkinson said. “I think at first you could ignore his shot. Now it’s like you’ve got to respect him from 3 and I know he’s worked on it extremely hard, so that changes it.“You could be in the paint, wait for his drives. You still have to respect (that) but I think he keeps getting better and better.”D’Angelo Russell, Atkinson’s All-Star point guard, might be the other top candidate for most improved player after leading the Nets to a surprising playoff berth. Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, Denver’s Malik Beasley and the Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell are some other players worthy of consideration.ADVERTISEMENT Ray Parks signs with Blackwater Elite View commentsread more

Players in action during a Pro Kabaddi League match.Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANSThe 2019 season of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will start from July 20 with Telugu Titans and U Mumba playing the opening match of the tournament. Last year’s champions Bengaluru Bulls will fight it out against three-time champions Patna Pirates in the second match of the first day, according to organisers. The Titans vs U Mumba match will be played at the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad.Preview and Schedule This year a total of 12 teams will be fighting it out to win the coveted trophy. Each team will face every other side twice and finally, the teams which are in the top six list of the table will qualify for the playoffs. The organisers announced that this year, while Telugu Titans will play at their base Hyderabad, both Bengaluru Bulls and Jaipur Pink Panthers will be playing at Bengaluru and Jaipur respectively.New coaches will be in fray this time around as Anup Kumar coaches the Puneri Paltans for the seventh season while Rakesh Kumar will be coaching Haryana Steelers. Siddharth Desai who has shifted to Telugu Titans this year will be looking to perform the way he used to do for U Mumba. The final of the tournament is scheduled for October 19.This time around the former champions Bengaluru Bulls are definitely the favourite to win the tournament. But last two year’s runners-up Gujarat Fortune Giants (GFG), who were defeated by Patna Pirates in 2017 and Bengaluru Bulls in 2018, will be strong contenders also. Three-time champions Patna Pirates who underperformed last season will also be among the contenders to lift the coveted trophy.TV listings and Live StreamingThe broadcasting rights of the tournament are held by Star Sports and the matches will be telecasted every day from 7.30 pm as they are scheduled. For live streaming on the internet, the platform will be Hotstar.read more

A favorite of the early MMO gamer, Asheron’s Call was released back in 1999. Developed by Turbine Entertainment, the team behind both Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online, the game became so popular during the early days of MMORPGs that a sequel was released just three years later in 2002. However, the game wasn’t received well enough to gain enough subscribers to maintain operations, and shut down just three years after that in 2005. Perhaps because Turbine essentially single-handedly revolutionized the MMO genre by making DDO’s transition to a free-to-play model such a success, it has decided to resurrect Asheron’s Call 2, making it free to play for anyone that has an active AC subscription.Most AC gamers would recount that AC2 was not only a mediocre game, but faced trouble because it had to compete with the older, more established, better original.AdChoices广告Turbine wasn’t able to bring over any of the old AC2 characters, but hey, players are getting two games for the price of one. The game’s new server, Dawnsong, is currently in beta. Turbine states that the server has passed all of its initial testing, but it still has a lot of monitoring and tweaking to perform.If you have an active AC account, you can simply log into the resurrected game using those credentials. Turbine notes that though the game server is currently up and running, certain features — like the friend’s list — won’t be available immediately. Go ahead and download the client, and see if you still feel that the original game is better than the newly resurrected sequel.via Turbineread more

Thursday, August 17, 2017 Share << Previous PostNext Post >> Tags: FIT, Germany, Trend Watch Canadian overnights in Germany up 7.3%, forecast remains strong Posted by TORONTO — The German National Tourist Board (DZT) has reported strong tourism growth from Canada in the first half of 2017, with FIT travellers in particular leading the charge.From January to and including May 2017, overnight figures show an overall increase of 7.3% over the same period in 2016. March and May 2017 were especially strong, both months breaking the 11% mark (11.8% and 11.9%, respectively).According to Antje Splettstoesser, the German National Tourist Office’s Director for Canada, contributing to these positive results are Canadian FIT travellers, who seem to like Germany’s well-developed tourism infrastructure.“We have also noticed increasing interest in Germany’s culinary scene, which with close to 300 Michelin stars extends well beyond our luscious bratwursts and distinctive beers. After busy hours of touring castles, towns and cities, or pedalling along one of Germany’s many meandering rivers, there is just nothing like sitting in a quiet restaurant or leafy beer garden to look back on the day with a glass of local wine or a cool brew,” she said. “Also, value for money has always stood us in good stead in Canadian eyes. For the end of the year, we look forward to the continuing upward travel trend from Canada for Destination Germany.”Overall, preliminary results from the German Federal Statistical Office for January to and including June indicate 36.7 million international overnight stays in accommodations with 10 or more beds, 1.2 million more than for the same period the previous year, an increase of 3%.Global tourism is forecast to continue to develop positively for the rest of the year. At the beginning of 2017, UNWTO predicted a growth potential of 3% to 4% for international arrivals worldwide, and 2% to 3% for Europe. And according to Forward Keys, international flight bookings to Germany for the third quarter, up to the beginning of August, are 5.6% higher than in the previous year.“With a growth of 3% and more than one million additional overnights in the first half of the year, Destination Germany presents a very good half-year result among the international competition. It would appear that Germany as a travel destination is more popular than ever,” said Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the DZT. Travelweek Group read more